


The Marks That Bind Us

by livinglittlelie



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Aiki is Lance's past life, Angst, Character Death (tis a reincarnation au folks), Collab with Nasenaya, Destined Zine, Drama, Fluff, Galtean AU, M/M, Modern AU, Multiple Lives, Reincarnation AU, Soulmates AU, You know who Yorak is, soul marks
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-26
Updated: 2020-12-26
Packaged: 2021-03-11 01:40:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,512
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28343301
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/livinglittlelie/pseuds/livinglittlelie
Summary: In the infinity of time and space, two lone souls were interconnected, one that burned like scorching fire and another that was as calm as the sea. No matter how far from each other they were, they always found each other, as they would only be completed with their other half.Sometimes, these souls remembered their past lives. Sometimes they didn’t. Once in a while, only one of them remembered, leaving them to carry the bittersweet weight of their past love. But past memories or not, they always found solace in each other.They were soulmates, two bright stars burning for each other.
Relationships: Keith/Lance (Voltron)
Kudos: 62
Collections: Destined: A Klance Soulmate Zine





	The Marks That Bind Us

**Author's Note:**

> Hello everyone! We were finally given permission to post our pieces for the Destined Klance zine, so here you are! It's a Reincarnation AU, and I had so much fun writing it. 
> 
> I hope you like it!

Souls were capricious creatures. They were ethereal beings not bound to the rules of the universe, existing in all time and space. They inhabited material bodies from time to time, living finite lives just to return to the pool of souls when their physical receptacles met their end.

Sometimes, souls split into two before inhabiting mortal bodies. Those new beings became soulmates, two halves of a whole, destined to look for each other in the whole universe.

This was the case for two souls whose fates were deeply interwoven. One was bright red, burning as the bright embers of a wildfire, while the other was the still calmness of the blue waters of a lake. Red was temperamental while Blue was easy-going. Blue always bore wide grins, while Red’s little smiles were hard-earned. Red shouldered Blue’s insecurity, and Blue held Red close when his turmoil clouded his senses.

They complemented each other, like two pieces of a puzzle. They sought one another, and upon contact, splashes of color bloomed on their skins, only for their eyes to see.

Usually, these souls didn’t remember their past lives, only filled with sweet longing. Sometimes, though, they carried their past memories within them, or their memories awakened when they finally found each other. But no matter their past memories, they always fell in awe when they saw their soulmarks blooming in their skins for the first time.

Because, no matter what, they were Red and Blue, two parts of a whole.

That brought them to the life they were currently living.

Blue, who went by the name of Aiki, had dreamed of Red since he was a child. Red was sometimes a woman, sometimes a man, sometimes neither, but it was always  _ Red _ . Red always brought Aiki burning joy in his dreams and made Aiki feel a longing as deep as the ocean. Aiki was the happiest when Red showed him their smile, and he often woke up in tears when he had to see Red go.

In his waking moments, though, Aiki had no time to dwell on dreams. He was the prince of Altea, and thus he had to act as such. He was constantly monitored and reprimanded for his easy-going nature, his unwillingness to learn at the pace they deemed fit, and his urge to explore the stars, in search for something that completed his soul. Looking for Red, who lingered in Aiki’s dreamscape. 

But when Aiki was freed of his obligations, when the only company he had were the stars shining in the skies, his thoughts wandered. Towards his fated one, whom Aiki longed for since he had a memory.

The memories of their past lives resided in his head, and his heart beat out in yearning, hoping it would become a beacon for his other half to find their way back to him.

And then he met Red again.

Red, who went by the name of Yorak in this life, was a Royal Guard from the Galra Empire, sent to Altea to guard the Emperor in diplomatic missions. Aiki recognized him as soon as his eyes landed on him, as his burning soul and passion were palpable even at the distance.

Aiki tried to approach the guard at first, using every method and excuse he could come up with. He earned the scorn of the diplomats, the reproachful looks of his family members, and the scolding of his tutors. He also earned the confusion of a very disgruntled Yorak, who tried to flee from his advances, but Aiki didn’t care. He was a man on a mission, and that was to finally meet his other half, just as his dreams had foretold.

However, Yorak didn’t recognize him.

Aiki tried not to let that deter him. In the multiple lives they’d lived, there had been many times where they didn’t remember, nor had any idea that they were destined to be together. The marks blossoming on their skins should be enough to prove it to the stubborn guard. As for their past memories together, Aiki could cherish them for both of them.

Time passed, and Yorak started to grow fond of the prince. They took walks around the lush gardens of the palace, Yorak escorting Aiki after half-assed excuses of needing protection. During those walks, Aiki babbled for the both of them, while Yorak merely stayed silent by his side, listening. But it was far from unpleasant; Yorak no longer made a face at Aiki’s teasing, and he almost seemed content at being beside him.

It was on one of those walks, in which Aiki was so lost in his own story-telling that he didn’t notice the uneven path under his feet. He stumbled, and when Yorak reached out to steady him in alarm—

A warmth like no other filled Aiki from head to toe. His heart beat loudly against his ribcage, singing a song of love and longing he hoped Yorak could hear.

And then, their marks appeared in their skins, red on Yorak and blue on Aiki, blossoming like the prettiest flowers of the garden. Aiki was transfixed; even the marks in his dreams paled in comparison. He rose his gaze, an ecstatic smile curling his lips, before he froze.

Yorak was crying. He was transfixed on his mark, as if he couldn’t believe it existed quite yet, before his gaze slowly traveled up, meeting Aiki’s. His eyes shone in an emotion that Aiki had long since lost hope seeing on him.

Recognition.

“Blue…” Yorak muttered, but Aiki knew that simple word meant more than the color of Aiki’s marks. It meant everything and more. 

Red and Blue finally met once again, and their souls rested at ease. They basked on the love of a lifetime, ignoring the tension brewing around them.

But that peace was fated to be broken the moment the Galra Emperor declared the war to Altea.

They were in Aiki’s room when they heard the news from one of the Prince’s loyal attendants. The light of the moon was the only source of light in the dark room. It was a sorrowful light.

Once the attendant left the room, silence lingered. Aiki sat on the bed, immobile but for the constant shaking of his hands. In direct contrast, Yorak was pacing around the room in big strides, unable to sit still. He kept throwing glances at Aiki, but the prince kept his gaze stubbornly down.

Yorak stopped, his body as taut as a bowstring.

“Aren’t you going to say anything?”

Aiki’s gaze snapped up. His eyes were filled with unshed tears. “What am I supposed to say? That the situation is quiznaked? That  _ we’re _ quiznaked? I’m sorry, I just didn’t want to waste my time stating the obvious.”

Yorak made a pained face. He rushed to Aiki’s side and knelt before him, thumbing the rim of his eyes delicately. “Don’t say that.”

“First talk, then don’t talk… Make up your mind, Galra,” Aiki feebly joked. “Am I wrong, though? We’re doomed as soon as dawn comes. You’ll have to join the front lines, and I… I guess I’ll be the useless wallflower I’ve always been.”

Yorak grabbed Aiki’s hands, fingers intertwining. “At least you’ll be safe.”

“I don’t want  _ safe _ , not when you’ll be out there without me watching your back.”

Yorak drew a bitter smile and hugged Aiki’s middle almost reverently. Aiki combed Yorak’s silky hair with his fingers, basking in their last moments together. Way too soon, a dry knock on the door interrupted the tense silence, making them jump.

“…I guess it’s time.”

Yorak made no move to get up, tightening his embrace around Aiki instead. If Aiki didn’t know any better, he’d think Yorak was behaving like a spoiled brat. Could he be blamed, though? It’s not like Aiki wanted to let go, either.

“Yorak, my love. You need to leave before someone sees you here.”

“No.”

“Yorak.”

“I said no! We’ve shared hundreds of lives together, so why does the universe fight to separate us so much?! Just for some damn politics between two dumb planets I couldn’t care less for? Why do I have to let you go when I just found you?”

“That’s precisely why you must leave, love. So that our stubbornness doesn’t separate us for good. I’d rather wait a couple of years for the conflict to resolve than to see you die in front of me.” Aiki’s voice choked up, and his tears finally started spilling. “When my people see you, they won’t see Yorak, the other half of my soul, but a Galra, the enemy. And while I am the Prince of Altea, I hold little power as it is, and I wouldn’t be able to stop them.”

“We could flee—”

“Where to? No matter where we go, we’ll be deserters, and we’ll be hunted down not by one but two planets. That’s a lot of enemies.” Aiki rested their foreheads together and closed his eyes. “Please, Red. I’m begging you. Let’s survive this, and meet once it’s all over. Then, we’ll be able to have the rest of our lives together.”

Yorak’s arms tightened once more around Aiki before they slipped down. Aiki kissed Yorak’s brow, desperately wishing to erase the defeated look on his face. That wasn’t an expression that fit his other half, even if it was Aiki himself who put that expression there in the first place.

“Let’s go, before someone sees you. They know I hold you in high regard; they’ll come here looking for you.”

“…Okay.”

They stepped out to the balcony, hands intertwined, and stopped at the edge. The night was eerie silent, as if the world itself was standing still.

After some hesitation, Yorak fished out a blue box from his pocket and placed it on Aiki’s palm. “I wasn’t planning on giving it to you like this, but I guess it’ll have to do. Don’t look so excited; it’s not much.”

“What is it?”

“Open it and see.”

Aiki did as he was told, curiosity overpowering his sorrow. It was a pair of earrings shaped like moons, one crescent and one waning. Aiki reached for one and turned it around, lips curling up at the symbol of the Blade of Marmora carved in the back.

“Sneaky, sneaky. You’re finally making me wear your brand in this life, aren’t you? You’d think your possessive strike would’ve been satisfied with our soulmarks plastered all over our bodies.”

“Our soulmarks don’t glow when we’re apart, but this mark will be hard to erase.” Yorak reached for the other earring and put it on his ear. “This is my promise to you. I belong to you and you belong to me. We’ll find each other once this war ends, you hear me? And no one will be able to tear us apart once we do.”

“That…” Aiki cleared his throat. “That sounds like a proposal, Red.”

“It is.”

Aiki let out a choked laugh. “Proposing just before running away is bad manners, has no one taught you that? And next time you want to propose, make sure you bring a ring with you.”

Yorak smirked, getting over the rail of the balcony. “Will do.”

Their hands left each other, their marks’ glow started to fade. Aiki caressed Yorak’s face once more before the Galra jumped off the railing and the darkness swallowed him whole.

That would be the last time they saw each other.

Aiki died in the middle of a night raid. Before his eyes closed for the last time, he stared at the night sky, tinted red with the fires surrounding them. His thoughts were filled with Red, begging the fates to bring them together again, this time in peaceful times.

Unbeknownst to him, at the same moment that the Blue soul ceased breathing, on an entirely different planet, the Red soul’s fire stopped burning as well.

* * *

Lance McClain had always felt different. Since he was a kid, he’d felt like his soul cried for someone he didn’t know. He grew open-minded and social, subconsciously reaching for many to find what he desperately sought for, without success.

Another thing he noticed was that he was drawn to the color red. It wasn’t his favorite—he’d always preferred blue—but there was something about the fiery intensity of the color that calmed him down. His heart hurt less when he looked at it, and so he got used to always carrying something red with him.

But life went on no matter how much he waited for something that never arrived, so Lance tried to go on with it. If he was destined to find the thing he craved for, he would someday.

“Lance?”

“Hm?”

He raised his gaze from the cup of coffee in his hands. His friend Hunk was looking back at him with a worried expression.

“Are you alright? You’ve been spacing out more than usual.”

“Oh…” Lance fiddled with the moon earring on his ear, feeling guilty. “I’m sorry, man. I don’t know where my mind went.”

“You sure?”

Lance waved a hand in dismissal. “Yeah, you know how I space out sometimes. Anyway, you were talking about your new job, right? At the bar.”

Hunk seemed unconvinced but shrugged it off. “Yep, the Altean Lounge. It’s not a bad place, really. We even have a band playing live some nights. You’d love it.” He suddenly perked up, looking over Lance’s shoulder. “Actually, I think I see the guitarist of the band? Keith!” 

Lance turned to look at the stranger coming over. His hair was dark and long, edging a little too close to a mullet, but it strangely suited him. He was carrying a guitar case over his leather-clad shoulders, and his ears were littered with piercings, one of them shaped as a strange-looking blade _ — _ or was it lightning? He was the typical bad boy girls would fawn over.

But it was only when their eyes met when Lance felt the air escape from his lungs. That boy was like scalding fire, and his heartstrings tugged at the sight of him.

“I knew it was you, Keith!” Hunk said, not noticing how dazed Lance felt. “It’s nice bumping into you, man.” He then patted Lance’s back. “Let me introduce you; Keith, this is my friend, Lance.”

Lance shook his head. He was acting like a weirdo, gaping at the stranger like that. He stretched out his hand in greeting, and Keith looking down, startled, before accepting it.

But as soon as their skin touched, the strangest thing happened. Color bloomed on their skins, blue and red that traveled up their arms and painted their bodies from head to toe. A warmth like no other filled Lance, and his heart sped up, screaming in longing.

They shuddered in unison, and for once in his life, Lance finally felt complete.

“I’m Lance McClain,” Lance found himself breathing out. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“Keith Kogane,” Keith answered, looking as out of breath as Lance, but with eyes as warm as the sun. “The pleasure’s mine.”


End file.
